bold · modern

Archivo Black and Archivo font pairing

One family, two voices: blocky black headings and a neutral grotesque body.

Background
Issue 07 · Field notes
Design is how it works

Good pairings feel inevitable. Great ones set the tone before a single word is read.

Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A strong pairing creates clear hierarchy while feeling like one consistent voice across every page. This paragraph is set in Archivo, while the headline uses Archivo Black. Numbers like 0123456789, punctuation “quotes” — and ampersands & — reveal a lot about how two typefaces get along.

Contrast, then harmony

Look for contrast in structure and harmony in proportion: similar x-heights, compatible widths and a shared sense of rhythm. Bold text and italic text should feel natural, too.

Why this pairing works

Two sans serifs can work when they differ in structure: Archivo Black carries the headings, Archivo handles text, and hierarchy comes from weight and size. Archivo ships in 9 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

HArchivo Black

Archivo Black is a free sans serif typeface designed by Omnibus-Type, added to Google Fonts in 2012. It comes in 1 weight.

More pairings for Archivo Black →

BArchivo

Archivo is a free sans serif typeface designed by Omnibus-Type, added to Google Fonts in 2016. It comes in 9 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with width and weight axes.

More pairings for Archivo →

Use this pairing on your website

HTML — paste in <head>
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Archivo+Black:wght@400&family=Archivo:wght@400;700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">
CSS
h1, h2, h3 {
  font-family: 'Archivo Black', sans-serif;
  font-weight: 400;
}

body {
  font-family: 'Archivo', sans-serif;
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 1.6;
}

More pairings with Archivo Black

Everything starts with a sketch

Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.

HArchivo BlackBLoramoderneditorial→

A modern twist on the classic: Archivo Black keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Lora's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text.

Stories worth reading slowly

Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.

HArchivo BlackBFrauncesmoderneditorial→

A modern twist on the classic: Archivo Black keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Fraunces's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text.

Built for the long run

Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.

HArchivo BlackBBittermoderneditorial→

A modern twist on the classic: Archivo Black keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Bitter's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text.

More pairings with Archivo

Design is how it works

Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.

HPT SerifBArchivoeditorial→

A classic contrast: PT Serif's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Archivo's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.

Built for the long run

Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.

HMerriweatherBArchivoeditorial→

A classic contrast: Merriweather's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Archivo's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.

Everything starts with a sketch

Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.

HCinzelBArchivoeditorial→

A classic contrast: Cinzel's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Archivo's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.

Frequently asked questions

Do Archivo Black and Archivo go well together?

Two sans serifs can work when they differ in structure: Archivo Black carries the headings, Archivo handles text, and hierarchy comes from weight and size. Archivo ships in 9 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

Which font should be used for headings?

Use Archivo Black for headings at weight 400, and Archivo for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.

Are Archivo Black and Archivo free?

Yes — both are open-source fonts on Google Fonts and free for personal and commercial use.